Window and door trim system

ABSTRACT

A building product includes a base member for mounting to a structure and a cover member adapted to be snap-fit to the base member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/571,979 filed on May 17, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This application relates generally to building products and more specifically to a window or door trim.

BACKGROUND

Trim is applied around windows and doors to protect the windows and doors and for aesthetic reasons. Typically, trim includes a wood strip nailed to the sheathing around the window to mount the trim to the window. Wood is susceptible to warp, rot, and requires frequent repainting. Moreover, trim can be difficult to mount in the space around a window or door. What is needed is trim product to improve on the disadvantages and weaknesses of traditional trim.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a trim system includes a base member for mounting to a structure and a cover member adapted to be snap-fit to the base member. In some embodiments, the base member and the cover member can be pultruded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of an assembled trim system, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of a base member of the trim system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view of a cover member of the trim system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section view of a cover member in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that the embodiments may be combined or that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section, profile view of a trim system 100 according to one embodiment. In this example, trim system 100 is mounted to a structure 142 and applied around a window 130. In other examples, the trim can be applied around a door. Trim system 100 includes a base member 110 and a cover member 120. In this example, the base member 110 and cover member 120 define a two-piece brickmold trim system for doors or windows.

Base member 110 can be used as a flashing piece that can be installed directly over a nailing fin 132 of window 130. Base member 110 includes a back wall 112 and a top wall 114. Back wall 112 includes a planar surface that is mounted flush against structure 142. Cantilevered from back wall 112 is a mounting section 116.

Cover member 120 is snap-fit to base member 110. Base member 110 and cover member 120 can be formed of vinyl, metal, or pultrusion, in some examples. By providing a snap-fit structure, system 100 allows for relatively easy installation. For example, base member 110 can be mounted to the structure using nails or adhesive, then cover member 120 is snapped into place over the base member.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show further details of base member 110 and cover member 120, respectively. Base member 110 can include a constant cross-section profile, such as an approximate L-shape profile 201 defined by a long leg (wall 112) and a short leg (wall 114). At an end 202 of the short leg of the L-shape, base member 110 includes a mounting section 204. Top wall 114 can be very short or long depending on the design. In this example, mounting section 204 includes a projecting lip 206 that extends from the top of the base member perpendicular to wall 114.

Cover member 120 includes a corresponding U-shaped mounting section 304 that is dimensioned to matingly fit around lip 206. Cover member 120 can include a constant cross-section profile 301 and can include a pultruded profile, for example. The cover member 120 can be formed with aesthetic features such as curls 314, ridges 316, grooves, etc, exposed on the outer, exposed surface of the cover member. The cover member 120 can be virtually any color or shape. The cover member 120 is adapted to engage in a snap-fit frictional engagement with base member 110. Snap-fit mounting means that the cover member 120 is held in place through the use of force via the flexing of wall 114, wall 312, a projection 208, and/or wall 310 and the subsequent holding action of an upper ridge 210 of projection 208 and a lip 206 of wall 114.

Base member 110 also includes second mounting section 116 located and projecting from back wall 112 of the L-shaped profile. Mounting section 116 is oriented approximately perpendicular relative to mounting section 204. Mounting section 116 includes a projecting portion 208 having upper ridge 210. Cover member 120 includes first wall 310 and perpendicular wall 312, which is cantilevered and dimensioned to engage ridge 210 on base member 110. Cover member 120 includes a corresponding mounting section 306 that includes a cavity 308 that engages ridge 210 during the snap-fit engagement.

The present design can help reduce water intrusion while giving nailing fin accessibility. For example, base member 110 includes an exposed surface 144, which is exposed when attaching the base member 110 to structure 142. Surface 144 is easily accessible to allow a worker to mount base member 110 to structure 142 (FIG. 1) by driving nails, screws, staples, etc through surface 144 and into the structure. Base member 110 can be mounted to sheathing or the frame itself, and to the rough opening of the window. Accordingly, the trim system is easy to install because it allows easy access for nailing fin accessibility.

Referring again to FIG. 1, to mount trim system 100 around a door or window, base member 110 is attached to either the sheathing of structure 142 or directly to the frame of the structure. If base member 110 is made of metal, slots can be provided in the base member and the base member can be loosely hung on nails attached to the structure and extending through the slots. If the base member 110 is made of a pultrusion, the base member can be directly mounted to the frame of the structure. Cover 120 is then snap-fit to the base member 110. To snap-fit the cover member, U-shaped mounting section 304 is fit to lip 206. Then the cover is swung toward the base member until cavity 308 engages ridge 210. As noted above, the force via the flexing of wall 114, wall 312, projection 208, and/or wall 310 and the subsequent holding action of upper ridge 210 and lip 206 holds the cover member in place.

Before or after the trim system is installed, siding can then be added to the structure. One embodiment uses a pultruded siding system such as disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/032,315, filed Jan. 10, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 4 shows another example of a cover member 420, in accordance with one embodiment. Cover member 420 includes mounting section 304 and mounting section 306, similar to cover member 120. The profile shape of cover member 420 is different than cover member 120 and includes aesthetic features, such as grooves 422, for example. Other embodiment can provide virtually any profile having aesthetic features as desired.

As noted above, some embodiments utilize pultrusion for the trim system 100. This is advantageous since both vinyl and long member metal products need to be slotted when attached to the sheathing of a home because of their high coefficient of thermal expansion. They have to be carefully nailed in the slots in a manner that allows horizontal movement of the siding as the temperature changes. Warping due to this large CTE is one of the chief drawbacks to these types of siding.

However, if pultruded, base member 110 can be mounted directly to the structural frame or the window roughing. This can eliminate the need for the sheathing of typical construction. Moreover, if pultruded, trim members 110, and 120 are not be susceptible to warping due to expansion or softening at elevated temperatures such as vinyl or metal siding. Moreover, they allow for the elimination of installation slots, which makes the product easier to install, requiring less time and labor. Also, the pultruded members could also be installed with any color.

Members 110 and 120 can be formed by pultrusion and can include a coating or a film for additional protection from elements or ultraviolet protection. For example, the pultrusion and coating can be as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,412, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Members 110, 120 can be various heights, for example, from a few inches to a foot. They can have lengths of up to 10 feet or longer.

Moreover, since the pultruded members have a relatively high insulative property, they help the insulating value of a structure wall and are less likely to be condensation points for moisture.

In some embodiments, base and cover member 110 and 120 can be pultruded and formed as composite parts. For example, glass, or other reinforcing fibers, are impregnated with resin and pulled through a forming guide and a heated die. The forming guide orients the fibers to be properly placed in the heated die to insure that the pultruded part has uniform reinforcement across its shape. The heated die cures and/or solidifies the resin around the reinforcing fibers, thus forming the composite part. The composite part, having a profile shape, is continuously pulled out of the heated die by a puller. The puller can be a clamp and stroke action from a reciprocating puller, or a smooth action from a caterpillar puller.

Reinforcing fibers used in the example pultrusions can be glass, carbon fiber, kevlar, and other organic and inorganic filaments and fibers. Reinforcement fibers can take the form of filament and strand bundles, called rovings. They also take the form of yarns, texturized yarns, chopped strand mats, continuous strand mats, knitted mats, woven mats, surfacing veils, and many hybrid combinations of rovings, yarns, mats, and veils.

Resin used in example pultrusions can be thermosetting resins like unsaturated polyesters in a styrene solution, or polyurethanes, phenolics, epoxides, thermosetting blends, and other thermosetting resins. Other resins used in pultrusion can be thermoplastic resins based on polyurethanes, acrylics, polyethylenes, and other thermoplastic resins. Resin used in pultrusion can also be thermoplastic resins that are embedded in rovings that melt and form the part inside the pultrusion die.

Resin mixtures in pultrusion can also contain organic, polymeric, and inorganic additives for such properties as shrink control, mold lubrication, colorants, fillers and other specially additives.

In some embodiments, the base member 110 can be incorporated into the window frame itself. Accordingly, the window would have a built-in flashing. In other words, the flashing piece 110 can replace the nailing fin of the window. In such an example, after the window is installed, only cover member 120 needs to be snap-fit around the window to apply trim to the window.

In some embodiments, a gasket can be located in the joints of the trim system. For example, referring to FIGS. 1-3 a gasket material can be located between section 304 and 204, and a gasket material can be located between section 308 and section 210.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 

1. A building product comprising: a base member for mounting to a structure; and a cover member adapted to be snap-fit to the base member.
 2. The building product of claim 1, wherein the base member and the cover member include pultruded, constant cross-section profiles.
 3. The building product of claim 1, wherein the base member and the cover member include composite parts.
 4. The building product of claim 1, wherein the base member includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section and the cover member includes a corresponding first mounting section that engages the first mounting section of the base member and a corresponding second mounting section that engages the second mounting section of the base member.
 5. The building product of claim 1, wherein the base member includes a back wall, and a top wall extending from the back wall, the top wall including a lip, the base member further including a mounting section extending from an intermediate portion of the back wall, the mounting section including an upper ridge, and the cover member includes a first mounting section that engages the lip of the base member and a second mounting section that engages the upper ridge of the base member.
 6. The building product of claim 1, wherein the cover member includes aesthetic features configured to provide trim around a door or window of the structure.
 7. A building product comprising: a base member to be fastened to a structure, the base member including a back wall, and a top wall extending from the back wall, the top wall including a lip, the base member further including a mounting section extending from an intermediate portion of the back wall, the mounting section including an upper ridge; and a cover member for mounting over the base member, the cover member including a profile having aesthetic features, the cover member including a first mounting section that engages the lip of the base member and a second mounting section that engages the mounting section of the base member.
 8. The building product of claim 7, wherein the base member and the cover member include composite, constant cross-section, pultruded profiles.
 9. The building product of claim 7, wherein the top wall is cantilevered from the back wall.
 10. The building product of claim 7, wherein the cover member engages the base member in a snap-fit.
 11. A method comprising; fastening a base member around a door or a window of a structure; snap-fitting a cover member onto the base member to form a trim structure around the door or window.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the base member and cover member include composite, pultruded parts.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein snap-fitting includes placing a mounting section of the cover member against a lip of the base member and swinging the cover member towards the base member until a cavity of the cover member engages a ridge of the base member.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the cover member includes aesthetic features. 